Google’s new privacy policy branded illegal as it fails to meet EU rules

Google was told its controversial new privacy policy is illegal and should be suspended â two days before it is due to come into force.

Google’s new privacy policy is set to come into force in two days (Picture: AP)

The internet giant will breach data protection laws if it shares user details across services such as Gmail, YouTube and social networking site Google+, said the EU.

The task of investigating the guidelines has now been left to French data protection watchdog CNIL, which has written to Google chief executive Larry Page.

CNIL says it is also concerned about the vague wording of the policy and calls for âa pauseâ. âRather than promoting transparency, the terms of the new policy and the fact that Google claims publicly that it will combine data across services, raises fears about GoogleâsÂ actual practices,â it wrote.

The new rules were due to start tomorrow and would allow Google to pool data from its email, video, social-networking and other services to track user interests and target advertising.

A Google spokesman said it had taken on board EU recommendations to âstreamline and simplifyâ its policies while providing âcomprehensive informationâ to users.

But Nick Pickles, of Big Brother Watch, said: âThe reality is that Google will know more about us than the government and use our personal information to increase advertising revenues.â